Syrian capital sees heaviest fighting of uprising

Source: Reuters AlertNet

Rebels fought government forces in Damascus on Monday, in the most violent gunbattles the Syrian capital has seen since the start of the year-long revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said.

The fighting near the centre of Assad's power base appeared to be an attempt by rebels, who have been forced out of Homs and Idlib and came under attack in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Monday, to show they still pose a serious challenge.

The heavy fighting shattered the night calm in the al-Mezze district, home to intelligence offices and foreign embassies, and left two "terrorists" and one member of the security forces dead, Syria's official news agency SANA said.

The armed confrontation came just two days after a double car bombing killed at least 27 people in the heart of the city, raising fears the capital might sink into mayhem.

3. I don't see anything in these reports to substantiate the claim of "heavy fighting" in Damascus

The female Al-Jazeera reporter undoubtedly gets it right when she says the remaining resistance are desperate to put out the impression that there is still an organized armed opposition. There is mention of sounds of gunfire and a group of gunmen holed up in a supermarket, surrounded by police and gov't troops, but nothing more.

4. And Tet was a defeat for the NLF anyway...

It certainly didn't lead to an urban insurrection. I too was perplexed by the description of "heavy fighting." To be fair, the media likes to sensationalize these sorts of things in all cases. When Peruvian guerrillas set off bombs in Lima years ago, there were lots of articles that made out as if the state was imminently collapsing.